Friday, May 30, 2014

Ambassador & Guardian Spotlight: Martin Schrampfer

The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund enjoys the support of a special group of volunteers: Law Enforcement Ambassadors and Guardians. Law Enforcement Ambassadors are active and retired law enforcement officers from city, state, federal and military law enforcement agencies, while Law Enforcement Guardians are volunteers who support and honor law enforcement but are not sworn officers, allowing citizens, family members and corporate supporters to work closely with the Memorial Fund in achieving our goals.Over 15 years ago, Patrol Officer Martin Schrampfer came from Menasha, WI to learn more about what National Police Week was all about. After attending the Candlelight Vigil for the first time, Martin felt the important role the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial plays in the lives of law enforcement officers and their families. That’s when he decided to become a Law Enforcement Ambassador. “As I watched the survivors come off the buses to attend the Vigil I knew I needed to do something because it was the right thing to do,” he said. After returning to the Vigil twice since that day 15 years ago, Martin noticed all the different car/motorcycle tags on vehicles he saw parked around the Memorial. That led to an idea: Wisconsin needs to spread the word about the Memorial Fund with a state license tag.Everyone has a thought from time to time that something needs to be done, but how many people take action? Martin did. Once returning from Police Week, he reached out to his State Representative Dean Kaufert, a son of a Neenah police officer, to get a Memorial Fund license tag in Wisconsin.

Representative Kaufert agreed that Wisconsin needed a tag to not only remind residents about the sacrifice that law enforcement officers make each day but to let others know about the National Memorial in Washington, DC. Despite two failed efforts for the bill to become law, Ambassador Schrampfer pushed Representative Kaufert to try a third and final time this session. With the support of State Senator Mike Ellis, this time the bill made it to the Wisconsin State Senate and was passed. On April 16, Ambassador Schrampfer watched as Governor Scott Walker signed bill AB208 into law.Ambassador Schrampfer’s idea became reality thanks to support from the Chief at the Menasha Police Department and so many others throughout the state. Now that that the bill has been signed it will take 6 to 10 months for production to begin. Stay tuned for more information.